The final shipment of GLEEP graphite
August 28, 2009
The final shipment of GLEEP graphite was dispatched for offsite treatment by high temperature calcination on 28th August 2009. The graphite was the reflector and moderator material used to construct the GLEEP (graphite low energy experimental pile) reactor which was housed in Hangar 8.
GLEEP was built in the 1940's and operated from 1947 to 1990. The core consisted of 13,500 graphite blocks each weighing 41 kg, stacked in 40 layers. The graphite was removed during decommissioning, crushed into fist sized lumps and stored in drums. The graphite was assayed and the waste was sent offsite for treatment by calcination. Calcination is the process of heating a substance, but below the melting point, causing a loss of volatile constitutents. The method has enabled the low levels of radioactivity in the graphite to be mobilised, resulting in final disposal to a lower cost route than the Low Level Waste Repository. The work was completed over 3 years.
For more information please contact: Angela Vincent, RSRL (Harwell) Communications Manager
